Scholarship Formed By The University Of Georgia To Honor The Hunnicutts

Over the years, Troup County has produced some truly incredible people. The faster that we continue to grow, the more we have to remember our legacy and where we have come from as a community. These roots are important in guiding us forward while never letting us forget who we are. One local couple is being honored in a very incredible way, as part of their legacy will now be forever remembered for giving young men and women in Troup County an opportunity to have the very best education possible.

Alumni from the University of Georgia have come together to form the Gail and William Oliver (Dr. Pat) Hunnicutt, III Scholarship, a fund that will help many kids from Troup County as they prepare for college life at UGA. The steering committee includes Jake Jones, Sam Craig, Bill Hunnicutt, Heather Graham, Jay Russell, and Kyle Crawford. The steering committee is planning to raise $500,000 in private donations over the next five years. In addition, each dollar raised will be matched by Callaway Foundation, Inc., up to $500,000. At this point, the committee has already raised $148,750 eligible for the matching funds.

Bill Hunnicutt, member of the steering committee and son of Pat and Gail, spoke out about the scholarship. “This is is a scholarship that’s being put together and made for any student in Troup County who attends the University of Georgia. It’s named in honor of my mom and dad. The cool thing is the Callaway Foundation matches the funds donated. What we are asking for is that people that who already giving to the University of Georgia, give it through this [program] because they will be doubling the money because of the match.”

Both Pat and Gail are graduates of LaGrange High School as well as graduates of the University of Georgia. In fact, Gail stated all of their siblings, both of their children, and both of their children-in-law all graduated from the University of Georgia as well. Gail, who served on the UGA Foundation for 10 years stated that she saw firsthand the need for scholarships and that everyone who wants to go to the University of Georgia should have the opportunity to do so. Gail also said that she and her husband were honored by this naming of the scholarship.

This scholarship is specifically for students who have graduated from an accredited Troup County School and are residents of Troup County. The funds will be given to students with a demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office at the University of Georgia. After so many years of serving LaGrange and the University of Georgia, this is an incredible honor for Gail and Pat Hunnicutt as they serve as an example of what community leaders should look like.